The Request Esther Does Not Make
Achashverosh, undoubtedly influenced by Hashem, grants Esther no less than five requests. The logic behind her first four requests is obvious, but the last one is puzzling.
Esther first asks for a party, which only Achashverosh and Haman will attend. Esther’s primary goals are to plant suspicion in Achashverosh’s mind about Haman and to make Haman overconfident, which would lead to his making fatal mistakes. Her second request for a second party also makes eminent sense since she wishes to deepen Achashverosh’s suspicion and bloat Haman’s prodigious ego.
Her third request to eliminate Haman is obvious since he leads the drive to eradicate us. The fourth request to rescind or at least neutralize Haman’s evil decree is also a non-negotiable necessity.
However, when granted a fifth request, Esther makes a questionable choice by asking for a second day to eliminate Shushan’s surviving Jew haters. Given this last opportunity, she should have requested from Achashverosh to rebuild Yerushalayim.In fact, one generation later, Nechemia (Nechemia, perakim 1 and 2) made this request to Achasverosh’s successor to the Persian throne, Artachshasta, and was granted his wish. Why did Esther not make this request?
The Road to Yerushalayim Goes Through Shushan
Esther eliminated the remaining Shushan anti-Jewish hardliners. These extremists posed a danger since they had access to the Persian king to influence his policies (as did Haman). Only after such vile Jew-haters were eliminated does Artachshasta, a generation later, feel comfortable in granting Nechemia’s request to rebuild Yerushalayim. Esther recognized that the Road to Yerushalayim goes through Shushan. Eliminating Jew hatred from Shushan paved the way for Nechemia’s successful plea for Yerushalayim’s rebuilding.
Shushan and D.C.
Enemies of the Jews with access to top leaders pose a serious threat to our people. The same applies today when Squad members spew vile anti-Israel (read: anti-Jewish) venom in Congress. We must follow in Esther’s footsteps and do whatever is legally permitted to proactively promote a pro-Israel stance among every last member of Congress. Active participation in congressional pro-Israel lobbying organizations, such as NORPAC and AIPAC, is the most effective way today to follow in Esther’s footsteps and neutralize those who reside in or near Washington, D.C. and regularly and brazenly slander Israel to top government officials.
We must follow Mordechai’s example and “sit in the king’s gate.” In our times, this means becoming involved in pro-Israel activism in Washington with AIPAC and NORPAC. Esther heard the call of Mordechai and Jewish history summoning her to advocate for her people. We dare not do any less!
NORPAC Mission to D.C.— May 20, 2025
Our Israeli brothers and sisters regularly sacrifice so much to sustain Jewish safety in Eretz Yisrael. Their losses and sacrifices are staggering. Setting aside one day to help them is the bare minimum we can and must do. Last year, 1200 joined the mission. Let’s make it 1,500 this year. We dare not shirk our responsibility to Eretz Yisrael in its hour of urgent need! Sign up now at www.norpac.net.
Rabbi Haim Jachter is the spiritual leader of Congregation Shaarei Orah, the Sephardic Congregation of Teaneck. He also serves as a rebbe at Torah Academy of Bergen County and a get administrator with the Beth Din of Elizabeth. Rabbi Jachter has authored 19 books available on Amazon.
